


Nic

by CarriePreston



Category: The Resident (TV 2018)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:54:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22791304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarriePreston/pseuds/CarriePreston
Summary: This is an AU origin story for Nic. Kind of how she may have gone off the rails when she was younger. It begins just after her mom's death.
Relationships: Conrad Hawkins/Nicolette Nevin, Nicolette Nevin/Original Character
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	1. 1

July 2000

Nic sat with her head on her Mom’s cold lifeless hand. Tears streaming down her face as she silently sobbed. Her other arm around her little sister’s shoulders. She could feel Jessie’s shoulders shaking as her body was wracked with sobs. Nic just couldn’t even think. Her mom was her whole world. The one who made everything better, the one who was always constant in her and Jessie’s lives. Something their father wasn’t. Just like now, her mom had died in the hospital. Her and Jessie unable to leave her mom’s lifeless body as it lay on the cold sterile hospital bed. It had been hours and their father still hadn’t come to collect them. Nic was so grateful the kind nurse had let them stay in the room with their mom while they waited.

“Your father isn’t here yet?” asked the kind nurse who’s name Nic couldn’t remember. Nic just shook her head sadly. “We’re going to have to call social services I’m afraid, honey.” The nurse came over and stroked Nic’s hair. “No, please, no.” Nic begged. “Please call our neighbour, she’ll look after us. I promise my dad will be back by tomorrow. We don’t want to go a kid’s home.” She looked pleadingly at the nurse. The nurse sighed, “I’m sorry honey, but I have to inform social services if a parent or guardian can’t collect you,” The nurse looked so sad when she said it. Nic didn’t want to go into care. She’d just lost her mother. How could she keep Jess safe if she didn’t even know the people they’d be staying with? 

Hours passed and there was still no sign of their father. Eventually a kind looking woman who reminded Nic of their late grandmother came to see them. “I’m Grace,” she said kindly. “I’m your social worker. I’m so sorry about your mom. I understand the hospital haven’t been able to contact your father?” Nic just shook her head sadly. “Is there anyone else who can collect you both? Grandparent? Aunt or Uncle?” Grace asked.  
Nic shook her head again. “No, our grandmother is dead, and we don’t have any aunts or uncles.” She whispered. “Our neighbour will collect though.” Grace shook her head, “I’m sorry, sweetie. We need family or a legal guardian. It looks like you’ll be going to a foster home tonight.” She patted Nic’s hand. “I know a nice couple you can stay with. Hopefully we’ll be able to reach your dad by tomorrow.”

Nic and Jessie were in the foster home for a week before their father collected them. They weren’t allowed to collect their clothes from home so had to wear hand me downs from the other foster kids. Nic was just grateful that summer break had started, she would have hated to have to attend another school. The foster parents were nice enough, but the house was big with lots of other foster kids so Nic and Jessie were left to themselves mostly. Jessie clung to Nic, she was so young and now they had lost their mother.  
Nic knew she was going to have to be the responsible adult from that moment on. Her dad wasn’t going to look after her or Jessie. She was only 13, she didn’t know how she was going to do it, But she would. Jessie was only 9 and she needed her.

Over the next year as Nic turned 14 she found herself slipping. She tried so hard to be a parent to Jessie, to be responsible and look after her. But it was getting so hard. She wished her dad would just stick around a bit more instead of disappearing for weeks at time. She resorted to stealing from the grocery store a few times now just so Jessie could have something to eat. Nic hardly ate anymore. She missed her mom so much, some days she just forgot to eat. Her grades were slipping because she just couldn’t concentrate in class. She was too worried about where their next meal was coming from, would the electric be switched off again because Kyle hadn’t paid the bill.

She hated her father. She couldn’t bring herself to call him dad anymore, she called him by his first name. He protested and got angry, but he didn’t have the right to tell her what to do anymore. He lost that right when he stopped being their parent and left her to look after Jessie. Jessie had started staying at her friend Letty’s house a lot. Nic figured Letty’s parents took pity on Jess as their situation was widely known about.

On those nights when Nic didn’t have to look after her sister she would let go, completely. She’d just started high school. She found out where the parties were going to be, and there were plenty all nights of the week. She’d get dressed up to look older, wearing revealing clothes and a lot of make-up. And she would get drunk, very very drunk. She couldn’t remember when she started sleeping with the older boys, couldn’t remember the first time at all, it was all a blur. She couldn’t remember which boys she’d slept with, probably most of the senior class and half the junior class by now. She didn’t care she just needed to get out of her mind on those nights.  
She always skipped school the next day. She knew she was getting a reputation, but she didn’t care, what did they know? She’d sleep it off the next day in time for Jessie coming home. She only went to school because if she didn’t turn up at least a few days a week they’d call social services. She didn’t want her and Jessie to go into care again.

Nic carried on looking after her sister and partying for the next two years. Kyle would always leave just enough money for a few days’ groceries, but he was gone for weeks at a time now. Nic had taken to begging their neighbour for food, running up a tab at the grocery store, and stealing. It was on one of these stealing trips that she got caught. She was fifteen.

She’d broken into a grocery store in the next town. She tried not to steal from stores near their house. She’d hitchhiked to reach the next town. She smashed a small window at the back of the store to get in. She searched for food – she never stole money. She couldn’t bring herself to, she didn’t want to be a thief, but she had to feed Jessie somehow. She only ever stole food, and then only a couple of days’ worth.

Someone must have called the police because the next thing she knew there were flashing lights everywhere and the police were shouting and kicking the back door of the store in. She dropped the food she’d been carrying and froze. She’d never even spoken to a police officer let alone been arrested. Two police officers came running into the store, “Is there anyone else with you?” One of them shouted. Nic just shook her head, she was frozen with fear. “What are you stealing?” The other officer asked. He walked over to Nic and saw the food around her feet. It was then the older officer looked at her, as he did, he seemed to take pity on her. “Why are you stealing food?” He asked gently. Nic started crying, explaining about her mom dying, dad not sticking around, trying to feed her little sister. The officer seemed to take pity on her. “You look about the same age as my youngest daughter,” he said. “I’d hate her to be in your position. C’mon we’ll take you home. But you have to stop stealing”. Nic was so relieved. She didn’t want a criminal record. 

She vowed never to be in that position again. Instead she started stealing from Kyle when he was home. She tried to get him to give them more money at first, but he wasn’t having that. So, she’d wait until she knew he was asleep, and she would find his wallet and steal as much as she could. He didn’t seem to notice, or if he did, he didn’t say anything. She got very good at saving what she could and budgeting so the money would last longer, buying the cheapest food available. She was completely behind with her schoolwork, she probably wouldn’t get into college, but she didn’t care. Her dad wouldn’t pay for college anyway. He was too busy spending his money on his newest woman or business venture.


	2. 2

On Nic’s 16th birthday, Jessie was staying in Letty’s again. So Nic got ready and went out. She didn’t want to go to a teen party she found them boring now. She went to a bar, she managed to get in no problem. She had no money, but she wasn’t short of men buying her drinks. She accepted every single one of them, she didn’t care what they were. At some point that night she started to feel out of it, it didn’t feel like usual drunkenness. She remembered a man helping her into his car where there was 2 other men, then it went black.

Nic woke up at 7pm the next night. Her head felt like it had been hit with a hammer. Her limbs felt heavy and she was very sore down below... She didn’t recognise where she was. She was lying on a dirty bed, naked. She sat up and looked around for her clothes, they were scattered around the dingy room. There was empty beer bottles and cigarette stumps strewn over the floor. She could hear her cell phone ringing, but she couldn’t find it. Quickly dressing as she found her clothes she searched for her phone.   
She quickly answered it was Jessie. “Nic, where the hell are you?” Jessie shouted at her. “I’ve been home for hours and I’ve been calling and calling!” “I’m so sorry Jess,” Nic said, “I’m coming home right now!” She had no idea where she was or how she would get home. Nic found her way outside, she recognised where she was, it was about ten blocks from her house. She ran all the way home.

She ran in the house and shouted “Jessie.”   
“I’m upstairs,” Jessie replied. Nic ran into Jessie’s room.   
“Jess I’m so sorry I wasn’t here,” she said sadly.   
“Nic, look at the state of you!” Jessie said shocked at Nic’s appearance. Nic looked in Jessie’s mirror, her hair was all matted, her make-up was smeared all over her face making her look like a clown. She had deep purple bruises around her wrists, neck, legs and ankles. It was then she realised she’d been drugged. She vaguely remembered different men on top of her throughout the night. She felt sick. She had to run to the bathroom to vomit.

She made a promise to herself at that moment to never lose control like that again. She needed to get her life back on track. She needed to be here for Jessie. The next day she went to the nearest Planned Parenthood clinic and had numerous tests for STDs. She was going to look after herself now.

Over the next two months Nic turned herself around. She went to school every day, she caught up with her schoolwork quickly. She found a part time job waitressing in the local diner; she was going to save up for college. She wanted a decent future for herself and Jessie. It was only when she’d finished her latest shift and her boss gave her, her first pay packet that she realised she’d been working for a month. And that meant that horrible night had been two months ago, and she hadn’t had a period since before then.

The realisation hit her like a tonne of bricks. She was 16! She couldn’t have a baby now! She headed straight for the drug store and bought a pregnancy test. She took it as soon as she got home, positive! Nic just sat and cried. She’d worked so hard over the past two months to get her life back on track. Her grades were up, she was working, she always made sure there was food in the fridge, and she was home for Jessie and now she was pregnant. She really missed her mom right then.

She took a deep breath and gathered all her determination. There was no one to look after her so she was going to have to just get on with things. The next day she skipped school and went to Planned Parenthood, she was so glad she had just got her first pay packet. She just wished she didn’t have to spend most of it on an abortion.

She waited in the consultation room with dread. A friendly looking nurse came in and spoke with her asked why she was there. It was at the minute that Nic just broke down, everything came out – her mom’s death, her father abandoning them, looking after her sister, getting drunk, skipping school, sleeping around, being drugged…She just cried and cried whilst the nurse let her sob on her shoulder. The nurse was so kind to her, she explained about taking the pills. How it was best to do it at home, how she’d bleed in the next few days and it would be like a heavy period.

Nic was so grateful the nurse had been so nice. She was expecting to be judged and lectured. She took the pills over the next couple of days, and then the cramping and bleeding started. It was painful and hard but Nic was so relieved. She had so much to deal with, she couldn’t deal with a baby as well. When the bleeding eventually stopped, Nic went back to school.

She worked hard both at her schoolwork and in the diner over the next two years. She worked as many shifts as she could, trying to make as much money as possible. She wanted to save for college, but realistically she spent most of her pay on food and bills. Kyle had all but disappeared from their lives now. They only had a roof over their heads because her mom’s life insurance had paid off the mortgage. That was the one decent thing her father had done for them both. She saved what little she could, but she knew she would end up in community college.


	3. 3

As Nic neared her 18th birthday she realised she would graduate. She was pleased with herself. She had managed to catch up with school, she was looking after Jessie well – Jessie was doing well in school and seemed happy. The bills were being paid and there was always food in. She hadn’t touched alcohol since her 16th birthday and she wasn’t interested in boys at all.

She knew her reputation still followed her around even if she hadn’t slept with anyone for nearly two years. It was why she was so weary of boys, they only ever wanted one thing from her. She kept to herself in school, she didn’t really have any friends, more like a few female acquaintances in some of her classes. She was asked out by boys all the time but she either ignored them or just firmly shut them down. She just wasn’t interested.

That was until Michael joined her school a few months before graduation. She first noticed him in biology class. He was tall, with dark hair and brown eyes. She was smitten. Although she refused to do anything about it, she knew what boys were like. When they were paired in class for a project, she knew she was in trouble. He was so nice! They started spending a lot of time together. Until after a month he asked her out, and despite herself she said yes.

They became a hot and heavy couple very fast. She hadn’t meant to let it get so heavy so fast, but she was head over heels in love with him. They spent all their spare time together. She managed to keep up with her schoolwork and work shifts but it meant she wasn’t paying much attention to Jessie anymore.

It was only when months after she’d begun dating Michael that Nic went to dip into her savings, she noticed most of the money she’d saved for the past two years was gone! Nic was in a state of shock. There had been over $1500 in there, and now there was less than $500! She immediately suspected Kyle. It was exactly the type of thing he would do. But then she realised there was only one other person who knew her bank card pin, and that was Jessie. Kyle wouldn’t have been able to withdraw any money, but Jessie would have.  
She stormed into Jessie’s room expecting to find her doing schoolwork, and instead finding her room empty. It was 10pm! Where was Jessie? Nic started searching Jessie’s room, she wanted to know what her hard-earned money had been spent on, clothes, booze? She found out quickly. Nic found 5 pill bottles hidden in Jessie’s underwear drawer. Opioids! Jessie was on drugs! Nic stumbled on to Jessie’s bed. This was her fault! She’d been so preoccupied with Michael she’d been neglecting Jessie, instead trusting her to look after herself. She was no better than Kyle.

At the same time Nic found Jessie’s drugs, Jessie was being loaded into an ambulance across town. She’d overdosed. Nic’s cell phone rang. It was County Hospital; Jessie was in the ER with a possible overdose. How the hell had Nic let it come to this? She took a cab straight there. The sight of her little sister lying on a hospital bed with a drip in her arm was almost too much for Nic. She felt like she was going to faint, and she stumbled on to one of the waiting room chairs. She couldn’t deal with this alone, she needed someone to support her.

She couldn’t rely on Kyle, there wasn’t even any point in calling him. She messaged Michael hoping he’d answer. He did! Within thirty minutes he was sitting in the hospital waiting room next to Nic, arms around her, comforting her. Nic was grateful he was there.

Eventually Jessie was released. Nic was so angry with her but felt so guilty. She knew she couldn’t blame Jessie, not after the way Nic herself went off the rails. She just had to support her. She got Jessie to attend Narcotics Anonymous, and through their school she saw a drug counsellor.

Michael was there with her all the way, supporting her. She didn’t know what she would have done without him. They graduated together. Her dad didn’t turn up, not that she had expected him to. She was still disappointed though. Jessie was there though, and she was sober! There was a big graduation party that night that she was very much looking forward to. She’d managed to buy a dress and shoes; Jessie was going to do her hair and make-up.

Michael picked her up and they headed off to the party. Jessie promised that she would be good, and Nic knew she meant it. Tonight, was so important to her. It was the first party she’d been to since her 16th birthday and she was going to enjoy herself. It was being held at The Winthrop mansion, one of the senior class was related to the Winthrop’s through marriage and had convinced them to let him hold it there.

It was a huge building, so many rooms. The party was in full swing when Nic and Michael arrived. There were a lot more people there than just their senior class! A lot of them looked older, like college students. Turned out it was a double graduation party. Apparently, the Winthrop son had graduated college.   
Nic was enjoying herself, she’d had a few drinks, enough to just be warm and merry. She had spoken to most of their senior class and swapped numbers. Turns out most of her class were quite nice. She had swapped numbers with so many girls, they all planned to keep in touch. It would be nice to have actual girlfriends.

It was then, that she realised she hadn’t seen Michael for hours. He was probably just mingling, but she wanted to find him. Maybe have a dance and then go home. She didn’t want to overdo it. She started searching for him, he didn’t seem to be in the throws of the main party. She started searching rooms that were closed off and made her way upstairs. She was slightly worried, but not too much. He was probably just in a bathroom queue or something.


	4. 4

After an hour she still hadn’t found him. She was pissed off now. She started storming around the huge house throwing open doors in anger. She threw open the next door, expecting to be met with yet another couple making out. Instead there was a blonde guy with the softest brown eyes drinking at a small bar. “Hey, this room is off limits” he shouted. “Or not,” he smiled when he saw Nic. “Want a drink?” he asked holding up his glass with brown liquid in it. “No thanks,” Nic said huffily, “I’m looking for my boyfriend.” “He’s probably making out with someone else if you can’t find him.” Said the blonde guy.   
“No, he isn’t!” Nic was even angrier now, who did this guy think he was!   
“Honestly, he’d be with you all night at a party like this if he was into you. I wouldn’t let you out of my sight if you were my girlfriend.” He said with a smile, brown eyes twinkling. Nic rolled her eyes, “You’re wrong!” She slammed the door shut. That guy was infuriating.

She carried on searching. Eventually she made her way to the top floor. Approaching the first door at the top of the stairs she could hear moaning and groaning. She was hesitant to open the door, she didn’t want to walk in on people having sex, but the blonde guy’s words rang in her head. Opening the door, she saw a couple rolling around on the bed, both completely naked. “Sorry,” she said as was about to leave when she noticed the guy, it was Michael!

Nic couldn’t bring herself to say his name or even stop them. She just shut the door and walked down the stairs, tears welling up. She’d trusted him! Let him in. She’d been so stupid, again! Now she was alone again. As she made her way downstairs, she realised she didn’t want to go home, not yet. She was going to get drunk, very very drunk.

It was as she reached the first floor; she remembered the blonde guy and his small bar. They both seemed very appealing right then. She found the door again and walked in. The blonde guy looked up surprised to see her again. He took one look at her face and said, “So I was right then?” Nic just looked at him. He got up and went behind the bar. “So, what’s your poison?” He asked her, “Brandy? Whiskey? Vodka?”   
“I don’t care as long as it’s strong and it burns.” Nic said, fixing him with a steely glare. He smiled at her. He was gorgeous, she didn’t know why she hadn’t noticed before. Fuck Michael and his hook up, she thought. She was going to sleep with this guy.

Nic kept on drinking and the blonde guy kept on supplying the spirits. He tried to get her to stop several times. But she shouted at him to just keep them coming. At some point after she didn’t know how many drinks she’d had, Nic stood up, grabbed the blonde guy and kissed him. She was drunk, but not so drunk she didn’t know what she was doing.  
He kissed her back passionately before pulling away after a few seconds, “Are you sure?” he asked, you’re not too drunk?” “I’m sure.” Nic replied, defiant.   
“I don’t even know your name,” he said.   
“And you don’t need to know it.” Nic replied, kissing him again. 

This time he kissed her back harder, pushing her towards the sofa on the other side of the room. Their kissing intensified as they pulled at each other’s clothes and fell on to the sofa. The ended up rolling onto the floor where they were all over each other. Then, the blonde guy pulled away, “Hang on,” he said, picking up his pants and searching the pockets. Nic was annoyed until she realised what he was looking for. She hadn’t even thought of protection! He found it, and they carried on. It was the best sex Nic had ever had! So much better than Michael. This guy, whoever he was knew what he was doing. For the first time in her life Nic had an orgasm. And she wasn’t quiet about it.

She fell asleep on the blonde guy’s chest as they lay on the floor intertwined, covered by a blanket that had been on the sofa. At some point in the night they woke up and did it all again. Nic couldn’t remember if they used protection or not, she too busy enjoying him, over and over again.

The next morning Nic awoke to a dry mouth and a banging head. She was lying on someone’s chest. She smiled expecting it to be Michael, then when she looked up, she saw the blonde guy and it all came back to her. “Morning,” he said as he winked at her. Nic got up quickly and started getting dressed. “Hey, can I get your number? I’d like to see you again.” He said.   
“No.” Nic said as she put her shoes back on, “This was a mistake.” And she ran out of the room leaving him bewildered.

She’d left Jessie alone all night. All because of what Michael had done. She hated him. Look what had happened when she’d gotten involved with boys again. She needed to concentrate on her future and looking after Jessie from now on. No more boys, they just got in the way and distracted her.

Over the next few months Nic threw herself into working at the diner. She took as many shifts as she could get. She wanted to start community college in September with as much money in her savings account as possible. Michael had tried to contact her several times, eventually turning up at the diner when she wouldn’t answer his calls or open the door to him at home. She didn’t want him to cause a scene, so pulled him outside to the car park to talk. “Why are you ignoring me?” he asked her. The nerve of him! Nic gave him a withering look. “You know exactly why! I’m not even getting into this, Michael. If it wasn’t over when I caught you with that girl, then it was definitely over later that night when I slept with someone else. Three times!” He looked at her, hurt. It just infuriated her more. He was the one who cheated on her! He had no right to be hurt that she’d then slept with someone else. “Oh, and I didn’t have to fake anything with him!” She left him standing in the car park and went back into the diner, she had work to do. She never thought of him again after that day, she knew she was over him.

Jessie kept relapsing. She hadn’t overdosed again thankfully, but she was using again. Nic didn’t know how to handle it. They had fallen into a routine were Nic would find out Jessie was using, confront her, and throw away all her pills. Jessie would be apologetic and swear she would never use again. Start going to NA and drug counselling, stay sober for a few weeks and then start using again.

It carried on all summer, and into September when Nic started at community college. She was so busy with work, college and looking after Jessie that it crept up on her again. She hadn’t had a period, all summer. In fact, she hadn’t had one since before graduation. The realisation hit her like a tonne of bricks. It couldn’t have happened again! She’d been so careful, hadn’t she? She thought back to graduation. Her and Michael had always used protection, she’d been so insistent on it. And when she slept with the blonde guy, he’d used protection too, hadn’t he? She had flashes of their steamy session in the middle of the night, and she thought maybe they didn’t use anything.

Nic finished her shift and went to buy a pregnancy test, again! Taking it at home, the three-minute wait almost killed her. Positive. She broke down, in her bedroom. She cried and cried; the tears wouldn’t stop. Jessie came home and found her in a heap on her bed. “Nic, what’s wrong?” Jessie was scared, she’d never seen Nic so upset.  
“I’m pregnant, Jess.” Nic replied.   
“Well we’ll get through it, Nic. I’m here for you. And you have options.” Jessie said sympathetically.   
“No, Jess. You don’t understand. This is the second time.” Nic couldn’t look at her sister.   
“Well, that’s ok. We’ll still work it out.” Jessie said, a little shocked.   
Nic shook her head, “It happened graduation night, Jess.”   
“Michael?” Jessie asked.   
“No. He cheated on me that night, so I slept with someone else. I don’t even know the guy’s name.” Nic was distraught. “And, it was nearly 4 months ago. Jess, I’m out of time.” Nic started crying again. Jessie pulled her into a hug. “I can’t be a mother, Jess. I can barely look after us.” Nic said, sobbing.

When she finally calmed down, Nic had already decided. She would give the baby up for adoption. She couldn’t have a baby. She needed to get her life sorted. She had to get an education, and a decent career. She needed to be able to support herself and Jess.

The next five months passed in an emotional blur for Nic. She carried on working and studying right up until her due date. She weathered the judgemental looks and whispers from her colleagues and fellow students. She pretended she didn’t care, but deep down she did. It affected her quite deeply, and just added to her sadness about her whole situation. She wished she were in a better situation, both financially and relationship wise. If she had been in a stable relationship, she would have seriously considered keeping the baby.

She had thought about trying to find the blonde guy from that night. But she didn’t even know where she would start. She could barely remember what he looked like and she didn’t even know his name! Something she was now kicking herself for. He’d asked for her number, who knew if it could have grown into something meaningful. But there was no point even thinking along those lines, she didn’t know who he was, so she couldn’t find him.

Jessie had been amazing since she’d found out about the pregnancy. She’d stayed sober, gone to all Nic’s appointments with her, supported her through everything. Nic was so pleased, maybe this was the catalyst that would keep Jessie off the drugs for good.

Nic’s due date passed without incident. She was frustrated and desperate to have this baby. She knew it was going to tear her apart emotionally giving up her child. She just wanted to tackle it head on. Then, one week after her due date, Nic’s waters broke. Jessie was right there with her. Holding her hand, helping her through the contractions, and then the birth.

Nic gave birth to a 7lb baby girl, with masses of blonde curls and big blue eyes. She fell in love with her the second she lay eyes on her. The nurse lay her straight on Nic’s chest for skin to skin contact. Nic looked over at Jessie who was crying, “Nic, are you sure you don’t want to keep her?” She asked sadly. Nic shook her head and started to cry, “I want to Jess, but I can’t. I wouldn’t be able to give her the life she deserves. At least this way, she will grow up in house with 2 parents, with financial and emotional stability.” Nic knew the couple she had chosen would give her baby the best life. She’d met them several times, she was happy with her choice, it didn’t make it any easier though.

“I know they’ll give her a new name,” Nic whispered to Jess, “But to us she’ll be Hannah. Our little Hannah.” Nic started to cry again, as Jessie leaned over and hugged her, joining in with her crying. After a short while the social worker who’d been working with Nic throughout her pregnancy came to collect little Hannah. Nic couldn’t bring herself to hand over her baby to the couple in person, she’d asked that the social worker do it.

“It’s time,” the social worker said gently. Nic kissed the top of Hannah’s head and whispered, “Please find me when you’re all grown up.” The social worker gently took the baby from Nic and carried her out of the room. Nic just broke down and sobbed in Jessie’s arms. Eventually the nurse came to check Nic over and discharge her. She gave Nic a list of complications to look out for in the coming weeks and told her how to help her milk dry up when it came in.

Back at home Nic had two weeks at home from work and college. They were the saddest two weeks of her life. Jessie was there for her as much as possible, but it had affected Jessie quite deeply too. At 15 she wasn’t emotionally mature enough to deal with her own sadness and support Nic at the same time. It wasn’t long after Nic gave birth that Jessie started using again. Nic didn’t notice. She was too wrapped up in her own pain.

Nic threw herself into studying. She’d finally decided on nursing. She knew she wanted to get into the medical world and help people. She briefly considered becoming a doctor, but she knew first-hand from when her Mom died that it was nurses who did the actual caring for the patient, not the doctors.

She changed jobs and got into call centre work. She was able to work her hours around her studies and she could earn commission which she really needed. Eventually she graduated and got her first nursing job. She loved working as a nurse but became frustrated at being at the mercy of the doctors in her ability to administer medicine and tests. So, after a few years she decided to study to become a nurse practitioner.

All through this time, Jessie was on and off drugs. She’d start using, Nic would find out, force Jessie into rehab, which Nic always paid for. Get clean, stay sober for a few months and then end up back on drugs. Jessie never really went to college or found a career path. She drifted from low paid job to low paid job. It devastated Nic that Jessie couldn’t stay clean for long enough to start doing something more with her life. It wasn’t what Nic had wanted for her at all. But Jessie was an adult and Nic couldn’t live her life for her, much as she’d like to sometimes.

Nic got her masters and became a nurse practitioner. She landed her dream job at Chastain Park Memorial Hospital. She was 28 and she finally started to feel like she had her life on track. She’d had a few relationships throughout her twenties, but none that lasted for more than a year. Certainly, none were she felt like she had met The One. She’d never wanted to move on to the next level with any of her exes.

She became a workaholic, working double, sometimes triple shifts. She would socialise with her colleagues and made some good friends, but she was still looking for that one man that would take her breath away.

Then it happened. She was at the 404 Tavern with Jessica and some of the other nurses. Nic and Jessica had been waiting patiently for the pool table for over 2 hours now. Nic’s patience was wearing thin, it was the same 2 guys that had been hogging it all this time. They seemed to be more interested in joking about than playing pool. She could hear one of them rapping now! Picking up her bag she stormed over there, Jessica trailing behind her. The rapping guy had just made a shot, Nic scooped up the ball before it could roll into the hole. His head shot up, to look at her. Nic nearly fell over. It was him! The blonde guy from graduation night, and her baby’s father…


End file.
